All four living former presidents have confirmed plans to attend the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City, which President Donald Trump will skip, reportedly because he would not be allowed to make a speech.
Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden has confirmed his attendance, alongside former first lady Dr. Jill Biden, at the commemoration of the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history, at the site that came to be known as Ground Zero where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were toppled by hijacked jet airliners, The New York Times reports.
Biden will join former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, with Vice President JD Vance representing the White House at the New York ceremony.
The Independent has contacted Biden’s office for comment.
Trump had initially planned to join the former presidents and other officials in Manhattan, but that changed after memorial officials seemingly reminded the president’s team that politicians are barred from making political speeches at the site to maintain its nonpartisan stance, the newspaper previously reported, citing “multiple people with knowledge of the discussions.”
Instead, the president is set to attend the service at the Pentagon with first lady Melania Trump, as he did last year and where he also made a speech. The attack at the Pentagon on September 11 killed 184 victims.
The White House “did not challenge the article” when the Times approached the administration for comment, the outlet reports, but Trump issued a furious denial on August 28, claiming that NYT reporter Maggie Haberman had “made up the story.”
In a statement to The Independent last week, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly did not deny the report.
“On the 25th anniversary of this tragic day, the President will remember those who were killed at the hands of evil terrorists, honor their loved ones, and pay tribute to the brave first responders who put their lives on the line to rescue their fellow Americans,” Kelly said.
“As a proud New Yorker, President Trump has spoken about his own experiences watching the horrific events of September 11, 2001,” she added.
Trump and his White House communications director Steven Cheung branded the Times reporting “fake news.”
“I would love not to speak, because I’m speaking all the time, and this is a day to remember the victims, and their beautiful family members,” Trump posted.
The president is set to travel to Ireland to attend the Amgen Irish Open at his golf club after the September 11 service, and it is easier if he departs from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland than from New York or New Jersey, according to the Times.
Since 2012, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum has prohibited politicians from speaking at Ground Zero – the site of the twin towers.
The president and first lady also marked the September 11 anniversary at the Pentagon last year. At the memorial, Trump spoke about those who lost loved ones, while peppering in brags about his administration and agenda.
“In America we take blows, but we never buckle. We bleed, but we do not bow, and we defy the fear, endure the flames and emerge from the crucible of every hardship stronger, prouder and greater than ever before,” Trump said during remarks last year.
